Extreme Weather Archives

Scientists Successfully Recreate Wildfire-Induced Thunderstorms in Earth System Models for the First Time

By Elyse DeFranco | Sep 29, 2025 | Research findings

The breakthrough enhances scientific understanding of the dangerous storms and their long-term impacts on the climate. The research, published September 25th in Geophysical Research Letters, represents the first successful simulation of these wildfire-induced storms, known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds, within an Earth system model. Led by DRI scientist Ziming Ke, the study successfully reproduced the observed timing, height, and strength of the Creek Fire’s thunderhead – one of the largest known pyrocumulonimbus clouds seen in the U.S., according to NASA.

Fires dot a mountainside with dense smoke billowing into the sky.

Weather Whiplash is Amplifying Wildfire Risk

By Elyse DeFranco | Feb 18, 2025 | Research findings

While fires engulfed large swaths of southern California in early January, destroying more than 16,000 structures, taking at least 29 lives, and choking the air with smoke, a new study about weather whiplash was released. Co-authored by DRI’s Christine Albano, the research examined how a warming climate is creating an atmosphere more prone to extreme weather. Now, Albano and her co-authors have released a new report that applies the knowledge gained from January’s study to the recent fires, analyzing the broader climatic context that contributed to the unprecedented infernos.

A city landscape shrouded in a red haze.

Floods, Droughts, Then Fires: Hydroclimate Whiplash is Speeding up Globally

By Elyse DeFranco | Feb 6, 2025 | Research findings

DRI’s Christine Albano co-authored a new study that examines how a warming climate is creating an atmosphere more prone to extreme weather. This “hydroclimate whiplash” is evident in California’s recent weather, with winters filled with repeated atmospheric river storms driving the plant growth that the dry summers then parched, providing plentiful fuel for explosive wildfires.

Maureen McCarthy presenting at a podium on emergency management.

DRI Scientists Create Guidance to Help Emergency Managers Prepare for Weather Hazards of the Future

By Paula Loop | Sep 4, 2024 | Research findings

DRI scientists partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to produce a guidance document for incorporating publicly available data on historical and projected extreme weather events to aid with emergency planning exercises. The report, funded by the California Department of Water Resources, is available on DRI’s website.

Photo of cars under water after a road to swept away during a flood with rescue crews in the background.

Preparing for the Floods That Follow the Fires

By Elyse DeFranco | Mar 18, 2024 | Featured projects

A conversation with Guo Yu and Jeremy Giovando about their new research examining post-fire flood frequency. The study expands on previous frameworks to account for the compounding impacts of repeated wildfires on flood risk, using a southern California watershed as a case study.